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© Ncert Not To Be Republished: RTS OF THE Auryan Eriod
© Ncert Not To Be Republished: RTS OF THE Auryan Eriod
OF THE
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MAURYAN PERIOD
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S IXTH century BCE marks the beginning of new
religious and social movements in the Gangetic valley
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in the form of Buddhism and Jainism which were part of
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the shraman tradition. Both religions became popular as
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they opposed the varna and jati systems of the Hindu
religion. Magadha emerged as a powerful kingdom and
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consolidated its control over the other regions. By the fourth
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century BCE the Mauryas established their power and by Pillar capital and abacus
with stylised lotus
the third century BCE, a large part of India was under
Mauryan control. Ashoka emerged as the most powerful
king of the Mauryan dynasty who patronised the shraman
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with the figures of a horse, a bull, a lion and an elephant
in vigorous movement, executed with precision, showing
considerable mastery in the sculptural techniques. This
pillar capital symbolising Dhammachakrapravartana (the
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first sermon by the Buddha) has become a standard symbol
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of this great historical event in the life of the Buddha.
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Monumental images of Yaksha, Yakhinis and animals,
pillar columns with capital figures, rock-cut caves belonging
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of India. It shows the popularity of Yaksha worship and
how it became part of figure representation in Buddhist
and Jaina religious monuments.
Large statues of Yakshas and Yakhinis are found at many
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Avanti and Gandhara which are outside the Gangetic valley.
Stupa, vihara and chaitya are part of Buddhist and Jaina
monastic complexes but the largest number belongs to the
Buddhist religion. One of the best examples of the structure
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of a stupa in the third century BCE is at Bairat in
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Rajasthan. It is a very grand stupa having a circular mound
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with a circumambulatory path. The great stupa at Sanchi
(which will be discussed later) was built with bricks during
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the time of Ashoka and later it was covered with stone and
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many new additions were made.
Subsequently many such stupas were constructed which
shows the popularity of Buddhism. From the second
century BCE onwards, we get many inscriptional evidences
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ARTS OF THE MAURYAN PERIOD 23
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lions, and (v) the crowning element, Dharamchakra, a large
wheel, was also a part of this pillar. However, this wheel is
lying in a broken condition and is displayed in the site museum
at Sarnath. The capital without the crowning wheel and the
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lotus base has been adopted as the National Emblem of
Independent India.
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Now kept in the archaeological museum at Sarnath, the
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capital has four lions firmly seated back to back on a circular
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abacus. The lion figures of the capital are very impressive and
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massive. The monumentality of the image is easily noticeable.
The facial musculature of the lions is very strong. The inversed
lines of the lips and its subsequent effect of projection at the
end of the lips show the sculptor’s observation for naturalistic
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DIDARGUNJ YAKSHINI
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ARTS OF THE MAURYAN PERIOD 25
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effect of a bulging belly. The lower garment has been rendered with
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century BCE. The stupa consists of a cylindrical drum
Stupa worship, Bharhut and a circular anda with a harmika and chhatra on the
top which remain consistent throughout with minor
variations and changes in shape and size. Apart from the
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circumambulatory path, gateways were added. Thus, with
the elaborations in stupa architecture, there was ample
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space for the architects and sculptors to plan elaborations
and to carve out images.
re ER During the early phase of Buddhism, Buddha is depicted
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symbolically through footprints, stupas, lotus throne,
chakra, etc. This indicates either simple worship, or paying
respect, or at times depicts historisisation of life events.
Gradually narrative became a part of the Buddhist
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EXERCISE
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